Beale skating on thin ice

Date: March 26 2013

Stathi Paxinos

Kurtley Beale and Cooper Vuna have received support from two former Melbourne Rebels teammates who believe they should not receive harsh penalties for the fight that had them sent home from the team's tour of South Africa.

But foundation players Mark Gerrard and Michael Lipman also voiced disappointment that an argument between teammates, who should have a close bond, had got out of control.

The Rebels management is believed to be nearing the end of its patience with Beale. The Rebels, who just hours earlier had suffered a humiliating 64-7 loss to the Sharks, had been returning to the team hotel in Durban after spending a couple of hours at a bar, when the incident occurred.

Beale, who is believed to have been affected by alcohol, allegedly punched skipper Gareth Delve and then traded blows with Vuna after he was told by Delve to put his shirt back on during the team bus ride.

Beale has been involved in a number of alcohol-related incidents and currently has a case in mediation with a Brisbane bouncer over allegations that Beale hit him on a night out last year.

The Rebels are believed to be considering tough sanctions against him, with coach Damien Hill indicating that this latest incident had affected the club's desire to keep the Wallabies star when his contract expires at the end of the season. Beale missed the loss to the Sharks because of a hand injury.

Gerrard believed the punishment should not be any harsher than a short suspension.

''I don't think they should be sacked, not for something so minor,'' he said. ''Everyone's read about people doing worse things than that. Obviously getting into fisticuffs with your own teammates is not the best thing, but it's something you can rectify quicker than if you got into a fight with someone in Joe-public.''

Lipman believes the players' banishment from South Africa, where they will miss Sunday's match against the Cheetahs, would be punishment enough, but he was concerned that a fight had occurred among teammates.

''It's bad enough having a fight on the training field, but it's not the first time that Kurtley's been in fights with teammates, and for him to have hit Gareth Delve, that says a lot,'' he said.

''Everyone makes mistakes and everyone goes through bad things in their lives and learning curves, but unfortunately for Kurtley … he's found himself in this situation again, which is disappointing for him. People expect more from him.''

Disciplinary hearings for the players will be held in the next few days.

Gerrard also questioned the wisdom of the team going out on the town. ''It doesn't help to have 15, 20, 25 male hormones running around for a few beverages after an ugly game against the Sharks,'' he said.

''It's not an ideal situation. Alcohol has undone a lot of people, a lot of good sportsmen in the past. Obviously it doesn't agree with Beale, but unfortunately that's just life … if he was to have a few beers [you need] guys who know that they can control him and he can react in a positive way to them and go forward from there.''

Former Test star Tim Horan tweeted on Monday that the players should not have been sent back to Australia.

''Should be sorted out by the players. Room them together, and get on with it,'' he said.

Lipman said he agreed with Horan. ''This easily could have been kept in house,'' he said. ''Sending them home has just created a media storm.''

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